-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When Marita Cheng was told to clean her room as a child , she imagined an army of robots doing the dirty work for her .

`` I looked around and I did n't see any robots helping me with the household chores , '' the 24-year-old engineering whiz said . `` And I thought : ' I want to be part of making robots a reality . ' ''

Speaking to Cheng , one of Australia 's brightest young scientists , you get the feeling there 's not much she could n't solve with a bit of brain power .

Her latest project ? Creating a bionic arm that could revolutionize the lives of quadriplegics around the world .

Young gun

Watching Cheng speaking to a packed Sydney Opera House crowd at one of her TEDx talks , it 's hard not to get swept up in her effervescent and eloquent `` can-do '' view of the world .

`` Why are we as a country doing such a bad job at inspiring the next generation of engineers ? '' she asks , microphone headpiece strapped on , before clicking to her next slide show on a giant screen behind .

Has she always been this confident ?

`` I do n't know , I guess I get scared all the time really , '' she says , speaking by phone above the din of Melbourne trams trundling past .

Robogals

In 2012 , Cheng was named `` Young Australian of the Year , '' a hugely prestigious award that saw her join the ranks of other remarkable youngsters Jessica Watson , the youngest person to single-handedly sail around the world , and swimmer Ian Thorpe , the country 's most successful Olympian .

Cheng quickly learned to become comfortable on stage , in the following year giving 150 lectures on her work that combined science and , rather unusually , feminism .

While an engineering student at Melbourne University -- one of just five women in a class of over 50 men -- Cheng founded Robogals , a group of students encouraging girls to get involved in science and technology .

Just 11 % of engineers in Australia are women -- it 's a similar story the U.S. -LRB- 14 % -RRB- and Britain -LRB- 9 % -RRB- -- and Cheng felt compelled to show a new generation of girls that science could be fulfilling and even , wait for it , cool .

`` There 's this perception that engineering is for men , and girls do n't do that , '' she said .

`` When I go to expos for Robogals , I get young girls come up to me and say : ` Oh my brother might be interested in this . ' But I 'm like : ` No , this is something you can do , it 's really fun . ' They do n't even realize it 's a possibility before you tell them that it is . ''

Within four years , the organization had expanded to Britain , the U.S. , and Japan , teaching over 8,000 girls robotics through school workshops , career talks , and community events .

Out on a limb

When Cheng recently graduated with a degree in Mechatronics and Computer Science , she had the choice of hundreds of job offers .

Instead , she decided to strike out on her own , founding 2Mar Robotics -- a company `` focused on building beautiful robots that help us in our everyday lives . ''

The team is now working on a bionic arm -- called `` Jeva '' -- which would help quadriplegics . Mounted on a wheelchair , the high-tech limb would be voice-operated and able to remember and repeat common tasks .

`` I was still finishing my studies off and I thought : ` What do I want to do ? What 's a cool , fun thing to do ? What will make me feel fulfilled ? What will give me purpose in my life ? ' '' said Cheng .

The lucky country

Growing up in a social housing estate in tropical north Queensland , the determined young woman says her mom , a single-parent and hotel cleaner , was a huge influence in her life .

`` She always just did what she had to do , and that 's what I saw as a kid . ''

Does she think Australians are too laid back when it comes to technology ?

`` I think we could have more of a vision for the future , '' she says . `` Otherwise , if you 're just focused on the past , then there 'll be other countries that are more hungry , more innovative , and doing their best to work towards a better future . ''

`` One day we 'll wake up and say : ` OK , what happened to all the great stuff that we enjoy ? ' ''

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Meet Marita Cheng : the talented technician bringing robots to your home

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24-year-old named `` Young Australian of the Year '' for science work

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Founded `` Robogals , '' global group encouraging girls to study technology

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Now working on bionic voice-controlled arm for quadriplegics